AWWA ACE90002

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, a wholesale distributor of drinking water to 43 communities, instituted a limited large-meter testing program to control unaccounted-for water. The objectives of the study were to show the importance of large-meter accuracy in accounting for water, begin to assess the overall condition of meters within the distribution system, and provide a model meter-testing program for MWRA customers. This paper describes the survey and summarizes its results, with an emphasis on procedural aspects. Four recommendations emerged from the study: MWRA should survey all large-meter installations, institute an annual large-meter testing program driven by incentives and/or ordinances, create an ombudsman's office to give member communities a forum for complaints, and offer training programs on sizing and selecting meters.